I had to chuckle when today’s email for Jeff Goins’ “Slow Down” Challenge entitled “The Myth of Multitasking.”

This was the Challenge:

Challenge: Focus

What if today you stopped trying to fit more things into smaller blocks of time and instead took your time trying to do fewer things? How much better could you do your work and how much more present to it would you be?

That’s what we’re going to do today: we’re going to try to focus. Here’s your assignment:

1. Pick one task you need to accomplish today; write it down.
2. Also, list the distractions that stand in your way.
3. Share your list with one person who can hold you accountable.
4. As you work, glance at your list and remind yourself what really matters.
5. Try turning off your phone or other pieces of technology. Leave it in the other room and see how much better your work is when you can focus.

I chuckled because today was an editorial deadline day – two days ago. I’d circled on my August calendar the deadlines from the July issue – and I was two days behind. Here I was thinking Thursday the 15th was my due date when my actual due date was Monday the 12th.

Oops!

Gah!

Talk about needing to focus!

Thankfully, much of my work was done and only needed fine-tuning, yet I had not even begun one of the biggest writing assignments that was due.

After I got over the initial shock, I set a tight deadline to get it everything completed.

The only way to get it done was to focus.

Jeff’s exercise pretty much fit the way I had to conduct my day if I intended to complete my tasks.

I put my shoulder to the editorial wheel and dug in.

Thankfully, despite a few interruptions here and here, I was able to get it all in.

Whew!

I’d like to think that the principle of focusing – and accompanying success – can be applied to any aspect of our lives.

Want to complete something and do it well?

Focus.

Want a new relationship – or spice up the one you have?

Focus.

Hmmmm . . . .

Join in the Fray: In what areas of your life do you need to focus?

I’m blogging every day this week in Jeff Goins’ “Slow Down” Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Copyright © 2013 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, All rights reserved.